Martyred Guardian (5e Class)

Martyred Guardian

Martyred Guardians are living walls of steel and flesh, loyal and dedicated to a single purpose: protect their wards, with their own life if necessary. Since many are the beliefs surrounding the power of martyrdom and protection, there are many distinct orders of guardians that follow the path of sacrifice, each one reflecting its founders ideals. There are orders created by clerics, such as believers of a god os martyrdom, such as the clergy of Ilmater; others have more mundane beginnings, like many orders of cavalry, that just dedicate themselves to protect an ideal, a nation or a royal bloodline.

Despite their distinctions, they have similar characteristics, like the emphasis in the use of heavy armors and shields, in order to make the guardian more durable, able to sustain the protection of their ward for a longer time; the physical training focused on endurance and pain tolerance, since the path of a martyred guardian involves sustaining a huge deal of punishment and pain, as well as tirelessly guarding their protegees; martial excellence, specially with melee weapons, making the martyred guardians known for their great combat ability; and finally, occult training in the magical power of sacrifice, teaching them how to extract the power to save the life of others true their own suffering.

Defiant Bravery

At first, a martyred guardian may seem boastful, loud and reckless, shouting insults and challenges to their enemies, charging forward in battle with absolute confidence in its victory, throwing himself in the middle of a crowd of enemies with disregard for his own safety. This apparent imprudence, however, hides the true nature of the selfless nature of these warriors. Through this behavior, they become the center of attention, the main target of their enemies, and thus they are able to preemptively keep their less resilient allies safe from harm.

A Life of Pain

The life of a Martyred Guardian requires a high level of pain tolerance and courage, both acquired from a hard and painful training, that last for long years. Is not uncommon that death befalls upon candidates to martyred guardians. Those fallen trainees have their bravery recognized after their death, though, and most orders grant them the posthumus title of Guardian after their death. To those who survive, however, a long path awaits them ahead, as they now must face the dangers of real combats, and must use their own bodies as shields to their protegees.

Power in Sacrifice

Is not always possible to keep a protegee safe, and even the most dedicated of guardians can sometimes let harm fall upon a protegee. A guardian learn that everything in the multiverse exists in equilibrium, and that the price of someone vitality is another's suffering. Because of this, during training, guardians also learn how to derive power from their own righteous suffering to restore the vitality and mend wounds of their wards.

Creating a Martyred Guardian

A Martyred Guardian by Efflam Mercier

When creating a Martyred Guardian, think about what prompted your character to devote them selves to the guardian class. Were you taught the way of the guardians through experience or did you naturally come upon it?

Quick Build

You can make a martyred guardian quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength then Dexterity. Second, choose the soldier background.

Class Features

As a Guardian you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Guardian level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Guardian level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: all armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons, improvised weapons,
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion, and Survival,

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) A one handed martial melee weapon and a shield or (b) A two handed simple or martial melee weapon
• (a) A explorer's pack or (b) A dungeoneer's pack
• (a) 10 of any simple weapon with the thrown property or (b) Any simple melee weapon

Table: The Guardian

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Lay on hands, Ever Vigilant
2nd	+2	Interception, Taunt
3rd	+2	Guardian Subclass
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra Attack
6th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
7th	+3	Subclass Feature
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Life Transference
10th	+4	Subclass Feature
11th	+4	Centre of Attention
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	Defiance
14th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
15th	+5	Subclass Feature
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Survivor
18th	+6	Subclass Feature
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Body Block

Lay on Hands

Your blessed touch can heal wounds. You have a pool of healing power that replenishes when you take a long rest. With that pool, you can restore a total number of hit points equal to your guardian level × 5.

As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool.

Alternatively, you can expend 5 hit points from your pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. You can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons with a single use of Lay on Hands, expending hit points separately for each one.

This feature has no effect on undead and constructs.

Ever Vigilant

Also at 1st-level, you have been trained to never be unprepared to defend yourself and others under your protection. You roll 1d4 for damage rolls with unarmed strikes and improvised weapons. In addition, you add your proficiency bonus to your attack rolls when you use a shield as an improvised weapon.

Interception

At 2nd level, when a creature you can see hits a target that is within 15 feet of you with a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to lunge between them and reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus + Shield AC (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or melee weapon to use this reaction.

Taunt

At 2nd level, you can use a bonus action to taunt one opponent you can see, this enemy will have disadvantage on attack rolls that do not target you (this ability has no effect if the target cannot hear, or see you). This effect lasts until the start of your next turn.

Guardian Subclass

At 3rd Level, you gain access to the guardian angel subclass. The sub class grants features at 3rd, 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn.

Life Transference

At 9th, level you gain the ability to cast the life transference spell at its lowest level, without spending a spell slot.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain your uses after finishing a long rest.

Centre of Attention

At 11th level your taunts become more powerful. All other enemies that can hear or see you within 10 feet of your target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or suffer the same effect.

Defiance

At 13th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to be reduced to 1 hit point instead. If you are reduced to 0 hit points by an attack made by a creature within 5 feet of you, you can make a melee weapon attack against that creature as part of the same reaction.

Once you use this ability, you can't do it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Survivor

At 17th level, you regain hit points equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left at the end of each of your turns. You don't gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

Body Block

At 20th level, as a reaction when a creature within 15 feet take damage, you can attempt to block that damage with your own body. Roll a d20 when you use this ability: on a odd number, you take the damage of the attack or effect, and the creature protected take 0 damage. On a even number, the same happens, but now the damage is reflected back to the source, that takes that damage instead.

Once you use this feature, you can't do it again until you finish a short or a long rest.

Guardian Subclasses

Guardian Angel

Guardian angels are the true martyred guardians, defenders that will stop at nothing to protect their ward. These warriors are defensive masters, and gain their moniker from the quasi-death scenario they can rescue their allies.

Warding Mark

At 3rd level, when you roll initiative, you can mark one creature of your choice as your ward. You can have a single ward at the same time, and designating another one cancels the previous.

Whenever a creature makes an attack against your ward while the ward is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to draw that attack to you. You can Intercept as part of the same reaction.

Defender's Dash

At 7th level, when a friendly creature you can see is targeted by an enemy attack, you can move the distance between you and them as a reaction, up to a maximum equal to your movement speed, and use your Interception feature as part of the same reaction, if you are within reach. You must end your turn closer to your ally than when you started.

Dragonhide Shield

At 10th level you draw inspiration from the toughened hide of dragons. Whenever a friendly creature within 15 feet takes acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder, you can use Interception to reduce that damage.

Almighty Defence

At 15th level, you gain a bonus to +1 to your AC, and your Strength or Constitution scores increase by 2. Your maximum for the chosen ability also increases by 2.

Guardian's Aura

At 18th level, you extend your Survivor ability to your allies. Any friendly creature that start its turn within 10 feet of you can benefit from Survivor, if it is above 0 hit points and below half its maximum.

Bloodied Protector

Bloodied protectors are martyred guardians that study the path of blood and suffering. They learn how to ease the pain of their protegees by taking the wounds in their stead.

Claim Wounds

Starting at 3rd level, you can absorb the pain and suffering caused against others, feeling it on your own body. Whenever a creature within 30 feet take damage, you can roll 2d10. The damage dealt is reduced by the number rolled, and you take damage equal to half the number rolled on the dice (this damage can't be reduced by any means).

Sacrificial Healing

At 7th level, you can use your bonus action to touch a creature, mending its wounds by sacrificing your own. You lose one hit die, and the creature regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled on the die + your Constitution modifier + twice your proficiency bonus.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, and regain your uses after finishing a long rest.

Soothing Aura

At 10th level, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your attacks to create an aura in a 10-foot radius around yourself. It lasts for 1 minute or until you're incapacitated. For the duration, any friendly creature that start its turn within the aura regains 4 hit points, and have advantage on Constitution saves.

In addition, whenever you take damage while this aura is active, you can choose one creature within its area as a reaction. That creature regain hit points equal to the amount you have lost. You can choose multiple creatures, spreading the hit point recovering between them as you please.

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Shared Pain

Starting at 15th level, you can infuse your weapons with your own pain, delivering them back to aggressors. When you or a friendly creature within 30 feet take damage from an attack or failed save, you can force the creature that attacked or forced the save to make a Constitution saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. On a failed save, the creature falls prone into the ground, contorting itself in pain, and take damage equal to the damage it caused.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

True Martyrdom

When you reach the 18th level, you can find blessing and glory through your true sacrifice. You can start true sacrifice at the start of your turn, without using an action. Blood starts flow from your body, as you bleed uncontrollably. You lose 2d10 hit points when you use this feature, and at the start of each turn thereafter.

Whenever you lose hit points in that manner, you gain a number of points equal to twice the amount lost, to spread between creatures of your choice within 30 feet. You can choose friendly creatures, restoring their hit points, or hostile creatures, causing necrotic damage to them.

The bleeding lasts until you reach 0 hit points. Once you use this ability, you can't do it again until you finish a long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the martyred guardian class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Strength, 13 Constitution.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the martyred guardian class, you gain the following proficiencies: light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons.

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